GASTROSCOPY

A gastroscopy often takes less than 15 minutes, although it may take longer if it's being used to treat a condition.

It's important that your stomach is empty during a gastroscopy, so the whole area can be seen clearly. You'll usually be asked not to eat anything for six to eight hours before the procedure, and to stop drinking two to three hours before the procedure. The procedure will be assisted by a nurse. You'll meet the nurse before the procedure and they'll be able to answer any questions you have and you’ll also have an opportunity to ask the endoscopist.

A local anesthetic spray will be used to numb your throat for the procedure and you'll be asked beforehand if you'd like to have a sedative injection.

The sedative will help you feel drowsy and relaxed during the procedure, but you'll need to stay for a bit longer while you recover, and you'll need someone to pick you up from the Clinica Picasso. You won’t able to drive during about 12h after the procedure.

If the gastroscopy is being used to diagnose a certain condition, air will be blown into your stomach once the endoscope is inside. This allows the endoscopist to see any unusual redness, holes, lumps, blockages or other abnormalities.

It may feel a bit uncomfortable when the air is blown into your stomach, and you may burp or feel bloated. This should start to improve once the procedure is finished.

COLONOSCOPY

Colonoscopy is a procedure that enables an examiner to evaluate the inside of the colon (large intestine or large bowel). The colonoscope is a four foot long, flexible tube about the thickness of a finger with a camera and a source of light at its tip. The tip of the colonoscope is inserted into the anus and then is advanced slowly, under visual control, into the rectum and through the colon usually as far as the cecum, which is the first part of the colon. A mild sedative to keep you comfortable and to help you relax during the exam. You'll need someone to pick you up from the Clinica Picasso. You won’t able to drive during about 12h after the procedure. The procedure will be assisted by a nurse. You'll meet the nurse before the procedure and they'll be able to answer any questions you have and you’ll also have an opportunity to ask the endoscopist.

If the procedure is to be complete and accurate, the colon must be completely cleaned, and there are several colonoscopy preparations. We will give you detailed instructions about the cleansing preparation.

Colonoscopy may be done for a variety of reasons. One widely accepted recommendation has been that even healthy people at normal risk for colon cancer should undergo colonoscopy at age 50 and every 7-10 years thereafter, for the purpose of removing colonic polyps before they become cancerous. Very often it is done to investigate the cause of blood in the stool, abdominal pain, diarrhea, a change in bowel habit. How often should one undergo colonoscopy depends on the degree of the risk and the abnormalities found at previous colonoscopies.

Individuals with a previous history of polyps or colon cancer and certain individuals with a family history of some types of non-colonic cancers or colonic problems that may be associated with colon cancer (such as ulcerative colitis and colonic polyps) may be advised to have periodic colonoscopies because their risks are greater for polyps or colon cancer.